Without You
by MandyCakes
Summary: Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?
1. Nightmares

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…if I did, I'd live next to Bob Barker in Beverly Hills, drive a BMW 760 and other luxurious vehicles, and date 6'4'' sexy male model types. Unfortunately, I'm from Oklahoma, drive a ford escort, and my last boyfriend was 5'9''. You get the picture.**

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics**

_Elliot put the car in park in front of Olivia's apartment complex. "I had a great time tonight," Olivia smiled at her boyfriend. His heart fluttered at her radiance._

"_Me too," he leaned over in the seat kissing her passionately. "Hmm. You sure you can't come up?" she mumbled in between kisses. _

_"I wish. I have to get the twins in the morning," Elliot rested his forehead against hers. "You know, we wouldn't have this problem if you'd just move in with me," he smirked, kissing her again. _

_"I might have to take you up on that offer this time, Stabler," Olivia pulled away a bit, looking into his eyes. _

"_Really? You're ready?" he wondered. "I think so," she nodded, as his lips met hers again. "Okay…you're never gonna get home if you keep that up," she raised her eyebrow. "I know. Let me walk you up," he started to get out. _

_"El…I'm a big girl," she told him, resting her hand on his arm. "Trust me…I know **that**," he slyly smirked, as Olivia hit him. _

"_I'm just playing. Is it a crime for me to walk the woman I love to her front door?" Elliot asked innocently. She smiled and rolled her eyes. Something about Elliot calling her the 'woman he loved'… "Okay, come on," she got out and felt his arm around her. She turned and looked into his clear blue eyes, so full of love. Love for her. _

"_You know what?" she asked. "Hmm?" his eyes waited for her answer._

"_I'm so happy right now…I love you so much," Olivia's eyes clouded over with emotion. _

_He turned around and embraced her, "I love you too, Liv," he grabbed her hands, kissing them gently. He walked her to the front door and kissed her once again, she turned and smiled. "Bring the kids by tomorrow evening. I'll make spaghetti." Olivia winked at him and he grinned. _

_"Sounds great. Love you." She blew him a kiss, but suddenly, her form disappeared. _

_Elliot was startled as he ran up the steps, frantically calling for her. "Liv? Olivia!"_

"Olivia!" Elliot screamed out waking himself from his sleep. He sat up in his bed, the sheets a tangled mess at his feet.

His heart was racing as he tried to catch his breath, his cool blue eyes quickly filling with tears. He buried his face in both his hands, sobbing like a scared child. Warm tears rolled down his cheeks as he tried to catch his breath.

He'd been having the same dream for weeks. He relived that night so many times…the last night he'd seen Olivia…before everything happened.

He brought the twins over the next day like he'd planned. But when he got to her apartment, she wasn't there. He'd called her cell repeatedly until he gave up a couple hours later and filed a missing persons report. Her apartment looked the same as it had earlier that day. It was almost as if she hadn't touched anything.

Morning came with still no word from her. They looked everywhere…anywhere she could've been…but she wasn't there. He felt like he was losing his mind…he couldn't eat or sleep for three days. He didn't care about himself…his only concern was finding Olivia.

His sobbing had subsided some as he sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the photo of them on his nightstand. It wasn't too long ago he'd been happier than ever. He and Olivia had finally found each other after being friends for so long. They were soul mates…meant to be together forever. He wouldn't give up until he found her.

"Daddy?" he glanced up at the sound of his daughter's voice. She stepped inside, leaving the door cracked.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the hallway. "I heard you in my sleep. Are you alright?" she stood at the end of his bed, her voice laced with worry.

He let out a sigh. Of course he wasn't alright…but he knew his youngest daughter was worried about him. Everyone had been. He opened his mouth to speak, watching her sit next to him on the bed.

"I know you're hurting, Dad. I know this is hard for you…it's hard for everyone. We miss her too," Lizzie clasped her hands and rested them on her thighs, still managing to see her father's eyes in the dark.

Elliot turned his head away as his eyes welled to the brink once more. Lizzie sighed, unsure of what to do. He wanted to talk, but he knew if he started, he'd break again. He didn't want his daughter to see him that way. He was supposed to be strong…he didn't want her to watch him crumble.

He felt her small hand on his shoulder. "You'll find her Daddy…I know you will. Just remember, if you want to talk I'm here, okay?" she tilted her head and scooted forward a bit to see his face. He nodded slightly and Lizzie leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Love you." She stood and started to go back to her bedroom.

"I don't know what to do, Lizzie. I've never felt this way before." She turned sitting back down, waiting for him to speak again. She learned in her peer counseling group that sometimes it was best to just let the other person say what they needed before you spoke.

"I just love her so much. I don't know what to do without her," Elliot choked a sob and started to cry again. Lizzie wrapped her arm around her father, her heart breaking at the sight. "I know you do, Daddy. I'm sorry this happened. We'll get through this…you'll find her."

Elliot sat there with his daughter, crying until he felt numb. Lizzie made him some hot tea and sat at his bedside as he laid back down.

His eyelids were getting heavy…he looked into his daughter's eyes, much like his own. His little girl was turning into a young woman…she had proven how much she'd grown tonight, just by staying with him.

"Thanks Lizzie…I love you," he mumbled, closing his eyes. Lizzie pulled the comforter up so he'd be warm. "It'll be okay Daddy. Get some rest," she whispered, kissing his forehead and leaving his bedroom.

**Please REVIEW! I really want to know what you guys think. Thanks :D**


	2. Sorrows

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…if I did, I'd live next to Bob Barker in Beverly Hills, drive a BMW 760 and other luxurious vehicles, and date 6'4'' sexy male model types. Unfortunately, I'm from Oklahoma, drive a ford escort, and my last boyfriend was 5'9''. You get the picture.**

**_Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for everyone that reviewed the first chapter! I was so not expecting that...all the nice comments made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks :D BTW, i'll be updating my other story, 'Don't Forget About Us' shortly. Enjoy!_**

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_He sat at his desk, trying but not wanting to pry his eyes away from her. She was focused on the file in front of her…every now and then a strand of hair would fall in her face and she'd brush it away. She was so beautiful…why hadn't he seen it earlier?_

_He'd been blind for seven years…blind to how amazing his best friend was. His feelings for her had always been deep, but now they were different. Now he was reacting differently to simple things. Like last week, when she'd had that date with some doctor, he'd been crazy jealous. He'd wanted to be the one with his arm wrapped around her, holding her close…_

"_Elliot. El?" Olivia's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He blinked, her chestnut eyes amused at his demeanor. _

"_I said I'm leaving." She smiled, standing up. "Huh? I thought you weren't leaving until six," Elliot's blue gaze drifted upward to meet hers. "I know…I have a date with Brian again." Olivia smiled, turning towards her locker. _

_Elliot frowned at this. Great. "Brian…you mean the dude that took you out last week? Liv…are you sure you wanna date this guy?" he crossed his arms, moving closer to her._

_She shrugged… a small grin came to her face. "Why wouldn't I? He's a great guy," Olivia replied putting her things away. _

"_I just uh…I didn't get a good vibe from him, ya know?" he watched her pause and turn to him with a strange look in her eye. "Elliot…you never gave him a chance! You were giving him the evil eye as soon as you saw him," she chuckled at her partner._

_She glanced at him once more, a pensive look on his face. Elliot was so protective sometimes. Of course she could take care of herself, but it was nice to know he cared about her. _

"_Elliot," she closed her locker, placing her hands on his shoulders and looking up at him, "I'll be fine. Really…don't worry about me."_

_Elliot let himself get lost in those chocolate eyes of hers…he knew he wouldn't win this one. "I'm always gonna worry about you, Liv." _

_Olivia blushed slightly at the sincerity in his voice. She looked into his eyes again and saw something there she hadn't before. "El…is something wrong? You've been acting strangely all day," she raised an eyebrow, finally taking her hands off his shoulders._

_He averted his gaze and sighed, "nothing's wrong." Olivia rolled her eyes. "You think after all these years, I can't tell when you're lying? Nice try, Stabler," she smiled with her hands on her hips. _

_Elliot laughed lightly, glancing into her almond eyes. She was right…she could see right through him. He tilted his head to the side, admiring her beauty and resisting the urge to kiss her._

"_What is it?" she wondered what the look he had in his eyes meant. "I don't think you should date Brian anymore," he stated, seeing the frustration evident in her face. "What? Why?"_

"_Because…" he closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around her waist, "you should date me." His leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her gently. Olivia returned the kiss briefly, but pulled back when she realized what she was doing. _

"_El…where'd that come from?" she wasn't exactly upset…he was a great kisser. _

_"I've wanted to do that for the longest time," he leaned his forehead against hers, "can I do it again?" Elliot grinned mischievously, grazing her lips with his. _

_"Elliot! Everyone will see us," she said quietly, even though the precinct was practically empty anyway. "I don't care," he whispered, watching her grin before he kissed her once more._

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Elliot blinked twice, moving his eyes away from her locker and focusing on his own. It was still early… he was the first one at the precinct. He'd been the first one at the precinct since she disappeared.

It wasn't like he was getting sleep. He was probably averaging three hours a night, tops. Between the constant reminders and bad dreams, it had become next to impossible.

He sat at his desk, opening her case file. He'd read over these notes a million times…where they thought she was abducted, when, any traces of evidence, fingerprints, clues she might've left…but still nothing. Still, he could've missed something.

They'd reviewed past cases where a perp would've had a vendetta against Olivia if he had been released…but each one was still locked up, died from natural causes, or had been killed in lock up.

His eyes rested on a picture Lizzie had taken of he and Olivia at Christmas…things were so different. His eyes started to burn with threatening tears. He covered his face with his hands, breathing deeply.

"Elliot." He turned in the direction of the voice. Cragen walked over to where he was sitting, a somber expression on his face. "Hey Cap. What's up?" Elliot asked standing from his chair.

Cragen looked at Elliot, his eyes red from what he assumed to be another long night of crying and lack of sleep. "When's the last time you slept?"

Elliot shook his head. "What does that matter? How can I sleep when I know that Olivia's somewhere suffering?" he frowned up, walking over to make some coffee. Cragen let out a breath he'd been holding. This was hard on everyone…especially Elliot. Just when they were both finally happy, something like this has to happen.

"Elliot…I'm worried about you. We all are. I just don't want this to destroy you," Don explained, watching him turn to face him. "It won't destroy me because we're gonna find her…we're gonna find the sonofabitch that did this."

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"What we got?" Fin asked as he and Munch approached a large warehouse. It had been hard to focus on work since everything with Olivia had happened, but they still had a job to do.

"Caucasian female, likely in her late teens or early twenties. She was badly beaten and sexually assaulted. M.E. said she's been dead about six hours," the crime scene technician informed them.

"Hey. Perp didn't leave any evidence…I found traces of spermicide. This guy was smart…he's done this before. Looks like she was strangled with something small. She was wearing this," Melinda held up a silver heart-shaped locket.

The two detectives glanced at the piece of jewelry, and both immediately did a double take and looked at each other. "Wait a minute," Munch moved closer to examine the necklace, as did Fin.

"That's it. That's the one." Fin confirmed what Munch was thinking. "What? What is it?" Melinda.

"Call Cragen now." Munch told his partner, already a step ahead of him.

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"Mmhmm. Right. But are you sure?" Cragen leaned on his desk, watching Elliot through the glass of his office, hopelessly staring at Olivia's empty desk.

"I'm positive. You guys need to get down here." Fin explained. "Okay…we're on our way." Cragen sighed and placed the phone on the receiver. He ran a hand over his face. This wasn't gonna be easy. "Elliot…grab your coat. M.E.'s gotta show us something."

Cragen had been really mysterious on the car ride over and Elliot wanted to know what was going on. He assumed it was about Olivia's case…maybe he didn't want to upset him.

"Hey," Melinda greeted them as they walked in. "What's this all about?" Elliot wondered. "Munch and Fin were at a crime scene earlier today…they found something." Melinda began, talking more to Elliot than Cragen.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes wide and body tense. She held up the small plastic bag with the locket.

Elliot recognized it immediately. He felt numb. It was Olivia's…he had given it to her not too long ago.

"That's…that looks like Liv's," he said, his eyes never leaving Melinda's. "Let me see it." He said, putting some gloves on his shaking hands.

He held it in his hands, seeing the inscription he was afraid would be there. _To Liv, my heart. _He drew in a deep breath, feeling fresh tears sting his eyes.

"Our victim was wearing it when she was attacked," She continued.

"Okay…did you get any prints off it?" Cragen wondered before Elliot asked. "The victim's, and a few others. I'm waiting to see if they match anyone in the system. But there's something else you need to know," she began, looking solemnly at Elliot.

His blue eyes glanced up expectantly. "What?" he asked quietly. She sighed, "we found traces of blood on the necklace. They didn't match the victim's. Then I- I compared it to Olivia's…" tears filled her own eyes.

Elliot shook his head, "No. Don't say it. That's not right…it can't be," he paced the room. "I did it twice…it's hers." Melinda confirmed his fears.

Tears rolled down his cheeks. "No. That doesn't mean anything…she could've been cut. Doesn't mean a damn thing," he argued, leaving the room.

Cragen stared after Elliot, turning back to Melinda before following him. Elliot's face felt cold as the wind dried the tears on his face. "Elliot! Wait!" he heard his captain call his name. He stopped reluctantly turning on his heel. Cragen was out of breath when he reached him. "Elliot-"

"We're gonna find her. I know she's out there. I know she is," Elliot frowned.

"I didn't say we weren't going to El. Come on, let me take you home," Cragen touched his shoulder, trying to lead him back to the car.

"No. I can't go home right now," he stood his ground. Cragen let out a defeated sigh, watching him turn and walk down the street. Elliot was stubborn, no need in arguing with him. He needed time to let everything sink in. They all did.

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Elliot sat on a stool of a nearby bar, finishing off his fourth drink. The liquid warmed him inside, it was a welcome feeling- better than the feeling he'd had standing there in that morgue. It didn't feel real. _"It's hers." _He rested his arms on the bar, burying his face in them.

He didn't want to believe Olivia had been hurt…but it seemed that way. Why else would there be blood on the locket? The locket she said she would never take off…and she never did.

He closed his eyes and allowed tears to fall. Sometimes he asked God why. Why this had to happen to them after they had finally found happiness. He never got an answer…maybe it was punishment for something he'd done in the past. But he couldn't remember anything he'd done in the past to cause him this much pain now.

"Can I get another please?" he slurred at the bartender, who gave him an empathetic gaze. "He's had enough," a female voice interjected.

Elliot turned his head in the direction of the all too familiar voice of his ex-wife. He glared at her. "What the hell are you doing here?" he spoke quickly, getting angrier when she smirked and sat next to him.

"Nice to see you too Elliot." Kathy faced him. "Donald called me…he told me what happened. I figured I'd start with the closest bar and go from there. Looks like I found you," she explained, watching him turn his attention back to the empty bottle in front of him.

"What do you care?" he turned to her again.

Kathy sighed, "Elliot...I do care about you. Everyone does."

"I don't know what to do anymore…I feel like I'm losing it," he said quietly, but she could hear him.

"Elliot…" she touched his shoulder sympathetically. "I know some days are harder than others…especially after what the M.E. told you today. But the Elliot I know doesn't give up…I know how much you love Olivia. I knew you loved her when we were together. A love that strong can't be denied, Elliot. Hold on to that love…you'll find her. I believe in you," Kathy rubbed his back.

"I don't believe in myself anymore," he whispered, starting to cry softly.

"Elliot...come on," she pulled him from his seat and steadied him on his feet, "I'll take you home."

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Read & Review Please! Tell me what you think! Next chap will be up shortly :D 


	3. A Lead?

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics….Alex never left- I don't like Casey as much.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…if I did, I'd live next to Bob Barker in Beverly Hills, drive a BMW 760 and other luxurious vehicles, and date 6'4'' sexy male model types. Unfortunately, I'm from Oklahoma, drive a ford escort, and my last boyfriend was 5'9''. You get the picture.**

"Ooh! A digital camera! Thanks Olivia!" Lizzie jumped up from her spot near the Christmas tree and gave her a hug. "You're welcome honey. I know how much you love photography. I figured you could use one," Olivia grinned. "Definitely. I can't wait to show my friends."

_Elliot glanced at Olivia. "A digital camera? Looks expensive… how much was that?" he raised an eyebrow. Olivia rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, silly. It's Christmas!" she punched him playfully. He broke into a grin, unable to pretend to be upset._

"_Yeah Dad…it's Christmas," Lizzie smiled happily, pulling the camera out. "Is that it? I'm starving," Dickie stood, grabbing his stomach. "As always," Lizzie said to her brother. "Haha." _

"_I think that's it…oh. Wait a second. I think I see another present on the mantle. Do you see it Olivia?" Elliot asked, watching her smile. "Hmm. Let's see what I can see…" she stood, picking up the small rectangular package. "What could it be?" she shook it, holding it to her ear. _

"_Sounds expensive," Lizzie commented, taking a candid shot of Dickie stretching. "Hey! Warn a guy before you do that!"_

"_How does it sound expensive?" Elliot looked at his daughter strangely. "Come on… the suspense is killing us. Actually my hunger pains are killing me. Open it," Dickie told her._

"_Okay," she sat back down next to Elliot excitedly ripping the paper and pulling out a small box. "Ooh. Open it…I'm ready," Lizzie positioned herself._

_Olivia let out a small gasp. "Oh my God. Elliot…it's beautiful," her hand rested on her chest in astonishment. She picked up the silver gold locket, admiring it. "Aww. 'To Liv, my heart," she noticed upon closer inspection. Tears quickly filled her mocha eyes. "Oh Elliot…I love it." _

"_Well… I love you. I'm giving you my heart…don't break it," he smiled, wiping a tear from her cheek. "You know I couldn't do that. I'll never take it off," she told him as he placed it around her neck. "I love you." Olivia told Elliot, kissing him._

"_Aww…you guys are so cute," Lizzie stopped taking pictures and observed the couple. Dickie grinned, shaking his head. "Your camera doesn't seem so expensive now, does it?" he asked Lizzie smirking. _

_They pulled apart, still sitting close. "I love it," Olivia said again, touching the small heart. "Aww. This is better than 'The Young and the Restless'. I can't wait til Maureen and Kathleen see it," Lizzie said. _

_Dickie sighed, "yeah, yeah. They're cute. Can we eat now?"_

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Elliot opened his eyes, immediately shutting them again. His head was throbbing…he felt like it was going to explode if he moved. He put a hand to his forehead, cursing under his breath. He was lying on something soft…he squinted once more, trying to determine where he was.

His surroundings became more familiar as he realized he was lying on his bed. Then he remembered how he had gotten back home. He vaguely recalled Kathy walking him up the steps and through his front door. Then he had collapsed on his bed after crying to her about Olivia.

Olivia.

The necklace. Melinda was checking for fingerprints. Maybe they had an ID on the victim. He needed to get to the station. He sat up slowly, suppressing the urge to throw up. Elliot held his head, knowing it would be hard to function today.

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"Elliot. Here…you'll need this," Fin handed him a cup of coffee. Elliot nodded appreciatively, walking to his desk. There was a note from Cragen on top of a few files. 'Come to my office when you get here.'

He sighed, unsure of what Cragen would say about his drunken state. "Come in," Cragen said, watching Elliot close his office door. "Look Cap, I'm- I'm sorry about how I acted last night. I just-"

"Elliot." He silenced him raising his hand. "Don't worry about it. We have more important things to discuss. We got results from the fingerprints on the necklace. One print belonged to the victim, who we've identified as 20-year old Shannon Trent. She lives on the same street as Olivia."

Elliot perked up at this. "Okay…and the other prints?"

"The others belonged to a Cory Sanchez and Vince Walker. Cory was in for armed robbery, got out on good behavior. It's Vince's record that worries me."

Elliot sighed, taking a seat. "What did he do?" He prepared himself for the worst.

"He got out of Riker's a few years ago, but in 1984, he sexually assaulted and almost killed three women in Maryland. Police caught him with a potential fourth victim in Brooklyn when he was arrested."

Elliot covered his mouth in disgust. Thoughts of what Olivia could be going through ran through his mind as he stood and started to pace. "Okay…okay. We know who we're dealing with…let's um…let's talk to the victim's family, see if they know anything." Elliot struggled to get his mind off Olivia being hurt.

"Munch and Fin left as soon as you got here…they're on it." Cragen replied, watching him nod.

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"I'm Detective Tutuola, this is my partner Detective Munch. May we come in?" Fin flashed his badge briefly to the middle- aged woman on the other side of the large door. "What's this about detectives? Haven't I been through enough?" her eyes filled with tears.

John motioned for her to sit, and they did as well. "I'm sorry for your loss ma'am…we want to find out who did this as much as you do," Munch explained.

She sighed, clasping her hands together. "What is it?"

"We just want to ask you a few questions," Fin told her, taking out a small pad.

"Are you aware of anyone who might've wanted to hurt your daughter?" She shook her head.

"Do you recognize this piece of jewelry?" Fin pulled the plastic bag out of his coat, showing it to her. She glanced at it briefly and nodded. "It was Shannon's. She told me her boyfriend had given it to her as a gift a few weeks ago. I figured he must've stolen it or bought it with drug money. There's no way he could've afforded it any other way."

"Her boyfriend…does he have a name?" Munch raised an eyebrow. "His name was Cory…Cory…his last name was…I think Sanchez. Yeah that's it. Cory Sanchez," she replied thoughtfully.

Munch and Fin exchanged glances. "Do you know where we can find Mr. Sanchez?"

"I don't know …somewhere in Brooklyn…but I know he and Shannon liked to hang out at this little café down the block on Stockton Street. Do you think he had something to do with this?" she looked back and forth between the two detectives.

"It's standard procedure to talk to everyone close to the victim. We'll let you know if anything else develops. Thank you for your time."

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Fin pulled the car to a stop at the corner of the café Ms. Trent had mentioned. Sure enough, there were a group of young men standing on the corner. They apprehensively glanced at the two detectives heading their way. "Cory Sanchez?" Munch asked the young man farthest from them. He quickly darted off in the other direction.

Fin caught up with him after he stumbled a bit. "Why ya runnin, Cory?" he slammed him into the nearest wall. "Get off me!" he struggled with Fin. "What were you and your buddies getting ready to distribute back there?" he asked.

"Nothin' man!" Cory yelled at Fin. "How about you come down to the station with us…we need to talk."

Elliot glanced up from his desk when he heard the commotion. Munch and Fin were leading a young man into the interrogation room. Elliot got up from his desk and followed them. "Who is that?" He asked Munch as another officer held him.

"That's Cory Sanchez…we just picked him up."

Munch held Elliot back when he headed towards the room. "Elliot …wait. Let us question him first. You might let your emotions get the best of you in there. Let us handle this," Munch tried to reason with him. Elliot let out a large sigh. "Fine," he agreed as Cragen entered.

"That Sanchez?" Cragen motioned to the man sitting down on the other side of the glass. "Yeah…he ran away when we approached him. Doesn't exactly scream innocence," Fin said.

"Alright…let's see what he knows." Elliot crossed his arms as his two colleagues entered the small interrogation room.

"So Cory…how did you know Shannon Trent?" Munch sat directly in front of him.

"She was my girlfriend. I didn't kill her."

Fin shrugged, "we didn't say ya did, Cory. You got somethin' to hide?" Cory shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "I ain't got nothin' to hide," he met Fin's stare.

"Why'd you run?"

"Because…I figured you guys were about to bust me on some bogus drug charges," he replied. "You sure you weren't running away because you're guilty?" Munch questioned.

"I would've _never_ hurt Shannon. I loved her." He cast his eyes down. "Is that why you bought this for her?" Fin placed the bag containing Olivia's necklace on the table. "Yeah…well, okay. I didn't buy it for her. I found it," Cory corrected himself.

"Where was it?" Munch stood with his hands in his pockets. "I found it on the ground when I was walking to see Shannon one day. Right in front of this complex down the street from her apartment. It looked practically new, so I cleaned it and gave it to her."

"What were you doing two nights ago, Cory? Where were you?"

"Chillin at my boy's house. The ball game was on."

"Which game?" Fin asked. "The Mavs were playing San Antonio…hey if you don't believe me you can ask anybody who was there. I didn't leave his house till well after 2:00 a.m."

"Yeah, we'll be sure to do that. Did you see Shannon that night at all?"

He sighed and shook his head. "We had an argument on the phone…I didn't see her."

"What you argue about? She find out you didn't really buy the necklace?"

"No."

"Well what was it?"

"She found out I was lying about something…" Cory averted his gaze. "What were you lying about?" Fin inched his face closer to Cory's, glaring at him. He didn't respond.

"Come on, Sanchez…I don't have all day…now what was it?" Munch crossed his arms.

"I want a lawyer." Cory said. Fin and Munch rolled their eyes.

"Yeah…just one more thing. Tell us what you know about Vince Walker."

Cory shook his head, "I'm not sayin nothin'."

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"He's hiding something. I know it." Elliot said as soon as the detectives stepped outside. "That's why he lawyered up as soon as I mentioned the argument," Fin added.

"So what do you think, Cap?" Munch asked. "Let's check his alibi…we need to track down Walker…see what their connection is," Cragen told them. "I'm on it," Munch replied.

"I think he knows something about Liv," Elliot said turning back towards the glass. "It's possible…we'll see." Cragen answered.

"'We'll see'? That's it? Cap, this guy knows something about where Olivia could be…we can't just wait around! She's suffering somewhere…"

"Elliot-" he placed a hand on his shoulder, "This is the first major lead we've had in her case…we'll find the bastard responsible."

Elliot stepped back, "I know…but I can't stand here and do nothing. Where's Sanchez's file? Has anyone checked his place out yet?"

Cragen shook his head. "I'll have Cabot get a warrant…shouldn't take long."

"Good. I wanna find out what this punk's hiding."

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Please review...it keeps me going:D 


	4. A Prisoner

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…if I did, I'd live next to Bob Barker in Beverly Hills, drive a BMW 760 and other luxurious vehicles, and date 6'4'' sexy male model types. Unfortunately, I'm from Oklahoma, drive a ford escort, and my last boyfriend was 5'9''. You get the picture.**

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics**

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_**This chapter takes place a few days earlier…**_

_"Liv wait!" she heard his footsteps not far behind her as she walked briskly up the stairs leading to her apartment. She quickly found the key she was searching for in her pocket and unlocked her door, taking one last glance at her partner before slamming it in his face._

_Elliot sighed, lightly tapping on the door. "Olivia…come on. Let me in," she rolled her eyes on the other side of the door, refusing to let the sincerity in his voice affect her. "Let's talk Liv…let me in…I have a key ya know…" he fingered the various keys on the ring before finding the right one. "Damn," Olivia muttered under her breath as she sat on her couch with her arms crossed. In her angry state, she had forgotten he had a key._

_He stared at Olivia, her arms crossed, eyebrow raised, and lips pouted. The thought of how cute she looked while upset crossed his mind as he thought of laughing, then realized that would only make matters worse. "Liv, look…I'm sorry okay?" Elliot sat next to her, touching her arm._

_She moved away from his touch and stood suddenly. "Why'd you do that Elliot? You know how much I wanted this case. Why'd you have to go and tell Cragen it was a bad idea?" she put her hands on her hips._

"_Olivia…it **is** a bad idea. These people are dangerous…you don't need to go undercover on this case. It's too risky," he stood as she furrowed her brow._

"_Just because we're dating- that doesn't give you the right to tell me what I need to do! I'm grown, Elliot! I can take care of myself," the anger in her mocha eyes was apparent now as he moved closer to her._

"_You can't always take care of yourself, Olivia. If you'd stop trying to be tough all the time, you'd see that. Someone has to protect you," he told her and noticed fresh tears forming at the corners of her eyes._

"_I don't need protecting," she turned away towards her window to hide the tears she knew were coming. It was too late…she knew he had seen them. Elliot moved behind her and gently rubbed her bare arms. "Yes you do, Liv. Especially now. These people will kill anyone that gets in their way…I'm not gonna let you take a chance like that. I love you too much to let that happen." He felt Olivia tense up under his touch._

"_What'd you say?" she faced him, her almond shaped brown eyes giving him a questioning gaze. "I said I love you. I'm in love with you, Liv. I can't let anything happen to you," Elliot admitted, wiping a lone tear off her cheek._

_Olivia felt her heart beating faster at his admission. Any previous thought dissipated, as all she could think of was this man standing inches from her. He'd finally said the words she'd longed to hear for so long. "I love **you**…" she told him, feeling more emotional by the second._

_He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned into her, the faint smell of his cologne invading her senses as his lips captured hers. He gently made his way down her neck, making Olivia weak in the knees. Her lips found his again as they continued to kiss passionately. "Make love to me," she whispered, as her eyes begged him to do the same._

_Elliot easily lifted her off the ground and carried her to the bed, gently climbing on top of her. Their clothes were quickly shed and were scattered on the floor as his lips explored every crevice and curve of her body, eliciting soft moans from their recipient. _

_Olivia pulled him closer as he entered her and their bodies began to move in sync. Elliot hoarsely whispered her name…their lovemaking became more intense and breathing heavier as they reached the peak._

_He held her close afterward, tenderly kissing her lips. "I love you, El." Olivia stared into his crystal blue eyes, only inches from hers. He brought his hand to her face, moving slightly damp golden-brown locks out of her face. A small smile appeared on his lips. "I'll never get tired of hearing you say that. I love you too." _

_--/--/--/--/--/--/--_

"Elliot…" Olivia mumbled, her own voice rousing her from sleep.

She slowly opened her eyes, quickly remembering that she wasn't with Elliot. She sat up on the uncomfortable mattress, positioned in the corner of a small, dark room, laden with the stale smell of mildew. Her head throbbed as a wave of dizziness overcame her. She shouldn't have sat up so quickly.

Her hand made it's way to her head, finding the source of her pain…a large knot was forming on the back of her skull. He must've come back before she'd had a chance to free herself…that would explain why she was in a different room. That would also explain the knot…she'd been hit with something.

She stood up slowly, using the dim light from the lone window to guide her around the small room. Finally finding a doorknob, she turned it, only to find that it was locked. "Damn it," Olivia cursed under her breath, leaning her forehead against the wood.

It's not like she really expected it to be unlocked. No…that'd be too easy. For the three weeks she'd been with this maniac, she'd realized this wasn't the first time he'd done this. He was experienced in this field…he'd known exactly what he was doing.

Elliot had walked her to her front door, giving her a final kiss goodnight and promising to bring the kids by the following evening.

"_I'll make spaghetti," she grinned, watching him turn around. "Sounds good. Love you," Elliot paused to stare at her as she blew him a kiss, turning and walking up the stairs. She couldn't wipe the grin off her face as she strode to her door, sliding the key in the lock. She reached inside and blinked her lights, letting him know she had made it inside. _

_As she turned back to take the keys out of the door, someone grabbed her and pressed a white cloth to her face. Olivia, with all her training, was no match for this man, much bigger and stronger than she anticipated. She barely had time to put up a fight once the substance overwhelmed her and she blacked out._

_When she regained consciousness, she was bound and gagged with tight rope on a cold, bare floor. From what she could tell, he had taken her to an old rundown building…maybe a farmhouse. Olivia couldn't be sure. She attempted to untie the large knot holding her hands together in the back…he must've seen her struggling, because she soon heard footsteps approaching from the other corner of the large room._

_His large frame hovered over her…he was so tall…maybe 6'6''. He bent down so he was squatting in front of her. His face was covered, but she could see his eyes-small, but piercing green eyes. Olivia had seen some evil people as a detective…but this man…just looking into his eyes gave her the chills._

"_Well, well…sleeping beauty's finally awake," his rugged voice laced with a deep southern accent reached her ears. The distinct smell of marijuana overwhelmed her as he moved closer. Olivia glared at him, and gave him a swift kick in the groin with her bound feet. He grimaced in pain, groaning. Regaining some of his composure, he met Olivia's stare. "You bitch," he spat out, hitting her swiftly across the cheek with the back of his hand._

"_You're gonna pay for that later. Trust me," he stood, walking in the other direction. Tears sprung to her eyes as she heard a door slam in the distance. Where was she?_

Olivia's heart ached. She wanted to scream, cry, beat down the door…but she didn't have the energy. She wanted to succumb to the hopelessness she felt…but then she thought about Elliot. She thought of how much she loved him and the look he got in his eyes when she uttered those three words. Olivia longed to see the love in those big blue eyes again…feel safe in his warm embrace once more and kiss his lips.

She took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a little stronger. Olivia stood from her crouched position on the floor, turning back to the locked door. She gripped the knob as tight as she could, pulling on it with all her strength. She then took to kicking the door…yeah. She'd busted through plenty of locked doors in her day. What was one more? Even if it was from the opposite side and seemingly nailed shut.

"Ugh!" Olivia started to feel the door budge a bit, and started laughing to herself. "Are you out there, you sorry son of a bitch? Apparently the door's not as strong as you thought!" she yelled to whomever could hear her. Dizziness overcame her and her shoulder hurt like hell, but she didn't care. The door was almost … there…she got it.

Olivia stepped into the doorway, not seeing anyone down the long corridor. She moved into the hallway as quietly as possible. She made some quick observations about her surroundings. Apparently, it _was_ some sort of old abandoned house…she was on the second floor…she could see a staircase leading up to what she assumed to be the third floor…or maybe an attic and the other downstairs.

She prayed no one was in the house. If he wasn't, this might be her one chance to escape. But what if he was? What if he had heard her yelling and was hiding somewhere just waiting to grab her? She took a deep breath, not wanting the fear to paralyze her. "Come on, Benson…" she quietly told herself, desperately trying to ignore the hunger pains in her stomach. She hadn't eaten in a few days, largely because she'd refused what little food he tried to give her. She didn't need to worry about food right now…there were more pressing issues at hand.

There were three more rooms on the hall. From what she could see, one was a restroom and the other two were likely bedrooms. The staircase was between the bathroom and the last bedroom at the end of the hall.

Olivia crept carefully along the rug covering the wooden floorboards. Just as she reached the top of the staircase, she felt a strong pair of hands grab her from behind.

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Please Review…next chap will be up soon:D 


	5. The Connection

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics….Alex never left- I don't like Casey as much.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…if I did, I'd live next to Bob Barker in Beverly Hills, drive a BMW 760 and other luxurious vehicles, and date 6'4'' sexy male model types. Unfortunately, I'm from Oklahoma, drive a ford escort, and my last boyfriend was 5'9''. You get the picture.**

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Elliot and Cragen took the squad car to Brooklyn to check out Cory Sanchez's apartment. It hadn't taken Alex long to get a warrant…they headed out as soon as they had it. The crime scene unit followed close behind. "This is it," Elliot motioned to one of the numerous rows of brownstones they'd passed. "Okay," Cragen parked as close as possible to the rundown building and went inside.

Elliot entered his living area, articles of clothing and old fast food containers everywhere. "This guy's a slob," Cragen muttered under his breath, scanning the room for anything significant. The CSU team began to spray luminol in different areas of the house where the crime could've occurred, as well as dust for fingerprints.

Elliot made his way to the small bedroom, opening the drawers of the nightstand. A few condoms, cigarettes, and random bills…nothing that would lead him to Olivia. He let out a heavy sigh and opened the closet, pulling out the shoe boxes that lined the wall. "Quite a stash he's got here," he raised an eyebrow at several bags of marijuana neatly placed in two of the boxes. The other boxes actually had shoes in them.

"Nothing on the mattress," the CSU technician told Elliot. He searched the rest of the bedroom, but didn't see anything. "Ugh…" Elliot rubbed his temples, frustrated at not finding what he needed. "Elliot! Come here…I think found something."

He followed Cragen's voice back into the living room, noticing he was standing over a trash can. He placed the glove on his arm and took out a few pieces of paper that appeared to be torn. "Look at this." Cragen carefully fit the pieces back together on the carpet. In sloppy but legible handwriting, the name Vince W. followed by a part of what could've been a phone number was scrolled across the paper.

"Looks like Cory made a mistake."

------------------------------

"You did? Okay…will do Cap." Fin closed his phone and eyed his partner. "Elliot and Cragen found a piece of paper with the name Vince and a phone number beside it. Walker doesn't have any cell phone records as of late…it may have been a prepaid cell phone."

"Right. But he had to have called Vince at one time or another…I'll have someone pull his home and cell phone records. Cory's alibi checks out, but obviously he knows something. His lawyer got here when you were on the phone," Munch explained.

"Alright…Cap wants us to go ahead and start interrogation before he and Elliot get back. Elliot might lose it in there…"

"Right," Munch followed Fin into the small room where Cory and his lawyer were waiting.

"So Cory…looks like your alibi checks out…your 'boys' confirm you were at the apartment at the time you claimed…" Fin looked over a folder.

"You have no reason to hold my client any longer," Cory's lawyer gathered his briefcase and stood. "Not so fast," Fin shut the folder shut and glanced back at Cory.

"We have reason to believe that you're involved in some major drug operations."

Cory sat up in his chair, shifting nervously. "What?"

"Drug sales. Marijuana. Weed. Chronic. Whatever you prefer to call it- you've got a large enough supply to last you a while. We've searched your apartment, Cory. Don't try to lie your way outta this one," Munch said.

Cory looked at his lawyer, some sort of signal that he knew he was caught. "We might be able to lighten some of these charges if you start talkin'."

"What do you wanna know?" Cory questioned.

"It looks like you were telling the truth about your girlfriend. You weren't involved in her untimely death. But there's a part you've left out Cory. What did you do that made her so mad? Why didn't you speak to her the night she died?"

"We had an argument…" he let out a sigh.

"Yeah, you told us that already…about what?" Fin walked around the other side of the table.

"She- she found out I was still selling drugs. I told her I had stopped."

"How'd she find out?" Munch crossed his arms. "She followed me one day…she saw what I was doing," he admitted.

"So she confronted you there and you guys had an argument. Is that what you're telling us?"

"Yeah."

"Did she say she was gonna turn you in?" Fin raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly…no."

"Who were you sellin the drugs to?"

"Nobody…just some random guy," he replied anxiously. "Right. This random guy wouldn't happen to be Vince Walker would it? It's truth time, Cory. We know you know Vince. You got one more chance to tell us what you know. After that, you can forget about a deal." Fin angrily told the young man. His lawyer whispered something in his ear and Cory nodded slightly.

"Okay. Vince is known pretty well in my parts. He just got outta prison…he knows a lot of people- he's got a lot of connections. I sold some stuff to him a few times…"

"Did you sell something to him the last day Shannon followed you?"

"No…I haven't seen him for weeks," Cory shrugged.

"We found Vince's prints on that necklace that you gave to your girlfriend…how'd you really get it?"

"I did find it on the ground…just not in front of her apartment complex like a said. It was around the place I usually get the best customers…you know- the corner where you arrested me. What does this necklace have to do with anything?" he frowned, glancing up at both Munch and Fin.

"You don't worry about that. You need worry about avoiding some of these heavy drug charges we got stacked against you," Fin replied.

"I bet Vince had the necklace and dropped it during one of his deals with Cory. We gotta find this bastard," Munch quietly told Fin.

"Give us the names of people you know in Vince's circle." Munch sat a piece of paper and pen down in front of Cory and motioned for Fin to follow him outside.

"Someone close to Vince may have seen or heard the argument between Shannon and Cory. If one person finds out about their operations, everyone feels threatened…" Munch began.

"Which means everyone's a suspect." Fin finished his sentence.

"Where's Sanchez?" the two detectives turned at the sound of Elliot's voice.

"We interrogated him already. He says Vince bought drugs from him a couple of times…Vince doesn't have a home address on record or any known living relatives so he's making a list people that are connected to Vince in some way," Fin answered, taking in Elliot's rugged appearance. He'd lost some weight since Olivia went missing, not to mention he wasn't sleeping well. Dark circles were prominent under his eyes, which were clouded over with some emotion he didn't recognize.

"Elliot, why don't you go up to the crib and try and catch a few hours of sleep, man. We can handle this for now," Fin suggested, watching him shake his head and rub the stubble present on his face. "No. I can't," he answered defiantly as Cragen stepped into the room.

"Just got off the phone with CSU…they didn't find anything out of the ordinary at Sanchez's apartment. Hopefully we can track down Walker through this list of Cory's," Cragen said glancing at Elliot. His arms were folded over his chest as he paced the floor, seeming to be lost in thought. "Elliot." He unfolded his arms, turning his attention to his captain.

"You hear me?" Cragen asked and he nodded. "Yeah, um... let's look at this list," he started to open the door but Cragen stopped him, motioning for Munch and Fin to go ahead. "What are you doing?" Elliot angrily asked. "Elliot, look…I know you're not yourself these days for obvious reasons. But I've never seen you like this. You're absolutely exhausted and I haven't seen you eat in days!" he pointed out.

"Of course I'm not myself! I can't think about food. She's been missing three weeks! Someone took her and God knows what she's going through. I can't do anything until we get her back," he stepped in Cragen's face, a fire in his blue eyes.

"You're right…you can't do anything. Not until you go home, eat something, and get some rest. You know I'll call you if one of these dealers leads us to Walker."

"I'm not leaving!" he almost yelled at Cragen, surprised at the ferocity in his own voice. "Either go home now, or face suspension. Your choice." Cragen calmly told him as he shook his head. Elliot wanted to stay, but if he didn't leave, he wouldn't get to work on any aspect of this case. He glared at his captain once more before turning and leaving the interrogation room.

--/--/--/--/--

He pulled out of the parking lot, tightly gripping the steering wheel as he drove up the street. _"You're so stubborn." _Olivia's words echoed through his head as he approached a traffic light.

_"So are you…" Elliot followed her into her kitchen. "Yeah, but you're really, really stubborn. I'm just medium-level stubborn," Olivia laughed opening the oven and grabbing the dish._

_"Oh so there are different levels now. I see," he stepped closely behind her, burying his nose in her hair. "Baby, they have levels for everything," she turned as he wrapped his arms around her._

_"Really?" Elliot raised an eyebrow as her hands drifted to his neck. "Do they have levels of love?" he leaned his forehead against hers, and a wide grin appeared on her face. "Yep. I think they might have to create a new level for us, though," she giggled and so did he._

Elliot put the car in park, so caught up in his thoughts of Olivia that he hadn't realized he'd driven to her place instead of his own. Leaning his head back on the headrest. He faintly heard a song coming out the speaker, so low he could barely hear.

A hundred days have made me older

Since the last time that I saw your pretty face

A thousand lies have made me colder

And I don't think I can look at this the same…

But all the miles that separate

Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face…

I'm here without you baby,

But you're still on my lonely mind

I think about you baby, and I dream about you all the time…

I'm here without you baby, but you're still with me in my dreams…

And tonight, it's only you and me…

Tears clouded his vision as he shut the engine off, not wanting to torture himself anymore. He sat upright, catching a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror. No wonder Cragen had sent him home. "I'm a mess," he muttered running hands over his face and willing the tears not to fall.

He watched the front steps of the apartment for a few minutes, half expecting Olivia to come down them at any second. The last few weeks had seemed like a bad dream…but it wasn't. It was a reality. Olivia wasn't going to come down the steps. She was gone.

Elliot stepped out of his vehicle, using the spare key he had to get inside the building. He glanced around briefly before making his way upstairs to her apartment. He hadn't been by since a day after she went missing. Crime scene technicians and police officers had swarmed the area that day, only to come up empty handed.

He approached her door tentatively, sliding the key in the lock and opening it. Elliot took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily to cherish the scent still present throughout her apartment. He closed the door behind him, slowly walking through the living area and making his way to her bedroom.

Elliot paused in the doorway, staring in the room as numerous memories came flooding back to him. He made his way to her side of the bed, picking up the small photo album resting on the nightstand. He looked at the cover picture of the two of them, a small smile forming on his lips. As he glanced through the photos, a small piece of paper fluttered to the floor, landing on a couple folders and a manilla envelope Olivia set beside her nightstand.

He bent down to pick it up, suddenly becoming curious as to what the documents were. He opened the envelope, pulling out a few papers.

Elliot almost dropped them when he saw the first page. "What the hell?" he said to himself, as his heart began to race. There, in medium size bold print, was the name Vincent J. Walker.

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**'Here Without You' by 3 Doors Down. It kind of sparked my idea to write this story, so I figured I'd stick it in this chapter.**

**Next chap will be up soon…it will pick up where chapter 4 left off and will also take place a few days earlier. Let me know what you think…thanks:D**


	6. Hopeless

**TO EVERYBODY READING: SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE. I'M IN A VERY INTENSE SUMMER PROGRAM IN BOSTON SO I'VE BEEN BUSY WITH CLASS, SHADOWING MY DOCTOR, AND EXPLORING THE CITY AND SUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE GREAT REVIEWS. HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE TWO CHAPTERS :D

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**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…if I did, I'd live next to Bob Barker in Beverly Hills, drive a BMW 760 and other luxurious vehicles, and date 6'4'' sexy male model types. Unfortunately, I'm from Oklahoma, drive a ford escort, and my last boyfriend was 5'9''. You get the picture.**

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics

* * *

**

_**This chapter takes place a few days earlier…**_

Olivia held her breath as she crept carefully along the rug covering the wooden floorboards. Just as she reached the top of the staircase, she felt a strong pair of hands grab her from behind.

Before she had time to register what was happening, she had been pulled into the room on the right of the staircase. Olivia pulled away from whoever was gripping her …they pushed her to the ground.

"Where the hell do you think you're goin'?" she heard the all-too familiar voice from above her. "I didn't say you could leave."

Olivia sat up, only to have him push her down again. "Try that again and you're dead," he bent down, his eyes once again boring into hers. She wondered numerous times why he hadn't killed her already. What was his motive for keeping her alive?

"What do you want from me?" she asked through clenched teeth, attempting to keep her emotions in check. He snickered, standing upright. "You really have no idea, do you? Some detective you are," he laughed again, the sound echoing in the empty room. Olivia paused for a second. He knew who she was?

"Is that surprise I see on your face? C'mon Olivia…or is it Liv?" he cocked his head to the side. Anger rose inside of her as she stood slowly, stepping away from him. "You don't call me that," she balled her fists.

"Oh. Right. That's what lover boy calls you. I forgot. Or what he _used_ to call you…considering you'll never see him again…" she watched him shrug and walk toward the doorway.

"You son of a bitch!" Olivia, weak as she was, lunged at him in anger. He pushed her against the wall, causing her to flinch in pain. His fingers gripped her neck tight, as it became hard for her to breathe. "You don't listen very well," he whispered, holding his hand in place.

She grabbed his fingers, trying to loosen the grip. "No. I don't listen. Besides…you're not man enough to do anything."

Olivia glared at him, knowing she had hit a nerve judging the look in his eyes. He gripped her tighter momentarily, then released her. "Oh, I'm man enough," he watched as she rubbed her sore neck. "Why don't you chit-chat with someone? I want you to get to know her before I finish her off," he turned, opening a door on the other side of the room.

It was a small closet. Inside it was a woman, her hands bound in front of her and her mouth taped shut. He pulled her to her feet, pushing her closer to Olivia. Her medium length curls were pulled back in a messy ponytail, her cheeks were stained with tears…she had a small bruise on her cheek. "Enjoy your last few minutes alive. You have Olivia to thank for that," he took one last look at them before closing the door.

Olivia stepped closer to her, removing the tape from her mouth. She took another look at the girl. She wasn't that old…couldn't have been more than twenty. She flinched at Olivia's touch.

"What's your name?" Olivia asked gently, as she attempted to untie her hands. The girl was quiet for a moment, but realized Olivia wasn't going to hurt her.

"Shannon… Shannon Trent."

"When did he bring you here?" Olivia searched her eyes for an answer. "Last night…or early this morning, I guess. The last thing I remember is walking home from work…next thing I know I'm tied up in some dark room…" Shannon began to cry. Olivia put a comforting hand on her shoulder, knowing it probably wouldn't help.

"How long have you been here?" her hazel eyes were full of fear. "A few weeks," Olivia sighed. "What? Oh my God," she started crying harder. "Why is this happening?"

Olivia shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't know," tears stung her eyes as the door opened.

"Time's up," he entered the room, roughly grabbing Shannon's arm. She winced in pain. "Let me go! Please don't hurt me!" Shannon struggled with him.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Say goodbye to your friend," he motioned to Olivia. "No!" Olivia cried out, seeing Shannon's horrified expression as he slammed the door.

Uncontrollable sobs rocked her frame as she felt her knees go weak. She slid down the wall in defeat. This was all her fault. That poor girl was going to die because of her. She didn't deserve to die…no one did.

How was she ever going to get out of here? She knew in her heart Elliot wouldn't give up, but how would he ever know where to look?

"What am I gonna do?" she whispered to herself between sobs.

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OKAY, THIS CHAP WASN'T THE BEST...BUT READ THE NEXT ONE CUZ I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! THANKS :d 


	7. A Revelation

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…if I did, I'd live next to Bob Barker in Beverly Hills, drive a BMW 760 and other luxurious vehicles, and date 6'4'' sexy male model types. Unfortunately, I'm from Oklahoma, drive a ford escort, and my last boyfriend was 5'9''. You get the picture.**

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics**

* * *

Elliot pushed forward the doors leading to the Special Victims Unit squad room, his big blue eyes frantically searching for Cragen. "Elliot, I thought I told you to go home," Cragen frowned, wondering why Elliot was out of breath. "We need to talk," Elliot said, holding up the manila folder.

"What's this?" he sat his coffee cup down and pulled the contents out. "I was at Olivia's. I know I shouldn't have been there, but I found this," he motioned to the sheet.

"Olivia had these documents. It's a detailed background check of a man named Vincent Walker. She was investigating our suspect!" Elliot explained.

"Why would she…wait a second… this isn't right," Cragen skimmed the other sheets.

"What? What isn't right?" Elliot positioned himself to get a better look.

"Date of birth says 9-19-44. That's too old to be our guy. His background check doesn't match any of the crimes our suspect has committed either. He was brought in on a couple domestic disturbance charges…other than that, it's clean," Cragen was confused, as was Elliot.

"What's that?" Elliot noticed a small card lodged in between the paper. He pulled it out, reading the information. "It's the name of a private investigator. Dan Simmons. Liv must've hired him," he said, starting to piece the puzzle together. "Let's go."

--/--/--/--

"Did you ever see Vince with this necklace?" Fin held the locket close to the man's face. He was last in a long line of men connected to Vince that they had tracked down and interviewed. So far, no one had even seen the argument between Shannon and Cory or knew of Vince's possible whereabouts.

"No."

"Have you seen this young lady before?" Munch pulled out a picture of Shannon. He glanced at the photo, then looked harder. "Yeah…I remember 'cuz she was yelling at Cory about some stuff. Something about he needed to stop what he was doing or else."

"Or else what?" Fin asked.

"She didn't say really…I guessed she was gonna turn him in. I didn't like the sound of that…if he goes down, most of us go down too. So I had someone contact and Vince tell him what I heard."

"And how did he react?"

"How you think he reacted, man? He was pissed…he said he wasn't gonna let her get away with it. I wouldn't either," the man raised an eyebrow. "Whatever happened to that girl…she got what she deserved. She shoulda minded her own business."

--/--/--/--

"Dan Simmons?" Captain Cragen flashed his badge to the man standing on the opposite side of the doorway.

"Yes?" he raised an eyebrow curiously, glancing between Cragen and Elliot. "I'm Captain Cragen of Manhattan SVU. This is Detective Elliot Stabler. We'd like to talk to you. It's regarding a missing person," Cragen explained, as Dan stepped out of the doorway letting them in.

"Who's missing?" Dan questioned, crossing his arms. "Does the name Olivia Benson mean anything to you?" Cragen questioned, as recognition spread over his features.

Dan nodded, "Yeah…I was looking into some things for her. Is she alright?"

"No. She's not," Elliot took a step closer to Dan, who noticed the emotion in this man's eyes. Cragen glanced at Elliot, "Let me handle this."

"Let's have a seat, shall we?" Cragen motioned to the cushioned sofa and chairs in the living room. "Why did Olivia hire you?"

"She wanted me to investigate a man named Vincent Walker," he sat down opposite the two detectives, "I did a complete background check…he has a fairly clean record..."

"What did you find?" Elliot questioned.

"Well, he was born in Atlanta in 1944. He moved up here with his father after his mother died. In the mid-sixties he lived in this area, but he ran into some problems with the police. Not long after that, he moved back to Atlanta and went to college. He became a CPA and he's currently chief financial officer at Binder & Associates…that huge accounting firm downtown. He'll be able to retire in a few months." Dan explained.

"Why did Olivia want to know about this guy? This isn't related to any case…" Elliot asked confused. "I wasn't sure at first either…but she finally told me what this was all about."

"What was it about?" Cragen wondered impatiently.

"She wanted me to investigate Vincent Walker because she had reason to believe this guy was her father."

"What?" Elliot and Cragen said incredulously. "No," Elliot shook his head, standing to his feet, "that isn't possible. That doesn't make any sense."

Dan shrugged, "why doesn't it make sense?" Elliot glared at the man, but realized he couldn't be mad at him. He was just doing his job. And he had a point. He couldn't construct an argument as to why it didn't make sense. But why hadn't Olivia told him any of this?

"She did some investigating of her own a few weeks before she contacted me. The 'problems' that Vincent ran into that I mentioned before involved a sexual assault case in 1964. He was a suspect, but the young woman couldn't identify him. He moved back home after that…I guess he wanted to get his life together. Looks like he did a pretty good job…this man's made and invested a lot of money," Dan told them and then handed Elliot a folder.

"This is his file. That includes some new information I was going to show Olivia, but she hadn't contacted me in a few weeks. Guess I know why now," he watched as Elliot quickly read the pages and pull outa photo.

Cragen moved closer to get a better look. "Oh my God…Olivia does look like this guy. It really might me him," Cragen said, more to himself than Elliot. Elliot frowned, still shaking his head, not wanting to believe that Olivia could keep such a huge secret from him.

"At the end of '64, Vincent married a Susan Walls. They had lots of problems…he got arrested for domestic assault twice, but the charges were dropped. They also had a son in 1965. His name was Vincent Walker, Jr. Vince for short," Elliot almost dropped the folder in his hands as he looked back up at Dan.

"What? Vincent Walker, Jr.? Vince is…Vince is Olivia's half-brother," Elliot's blue eyes met Cragen's. "Oh my God," Cragen said for the second time. "What is it?" Dan glanced between the two men.

"Vince Walker is our lead suspect in the rape and murder of a young woman and we think he may have taken Olivia," Elliot explained, having to sit back down.

Dan let out a sigh, crossing his arms. "Have you gotten any leads?" he wondered.

"They haven't led us anywhere yet. No one knows where Vince could be hiding," Cragen said.

"Maybe I can help," Elliot perked up at Dan's suggestion.

"I can look into Vince's past…talk to people that knew him. Perhaps they know something," he proposed, seeing Elliot nod slightly.

"Here's my card. Let us know if you find anything. Even if you think it's not useful…it may turn out to be," Cragen instructed him. "I will," Dan replied, following them as they headed to the front door.

"Thanks for your help. We'll be in touch."

--/--/--/--

"_I'll have the club sandwich with the soup of the day. Thanks," Olivia handed the waitress her menu as Elliot did the same._

_Elliot watched as she poured cream and sugar into her coffee and stirred it. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and was about to bring it to her lips when she noticed him staring._

"_What is it?" she raised her eyebrow, giving him a small grin. "You okay?" he asked, concern evident in his eyes. Olivia took a sip of her coffee, "I'm fine." She looked up briefly. Elliot knew she was lying._

_The case they were working on was really getting to her. A woman about their age who also happened to be the product of rape had been sexually assaulted and beaten by an ex-boyfriend. Olivia always had a way of covering up her feelings at work, but when they were by themselves it was more obvious. _

"_Liv…" he extended his arm and gave her hand a squeeze, "you can talk to me." She let out a sigh, allowing herself to get lost in his eyes. "I know," Olivia replied._

_He took her other hand, caressing them gently. She was silent for a few moments before she spoke. "I thought about it today," she said softly._

"_Thought about what?" he questioned. "Finding the man who raped my mother. I hadn't thought about it for a while…not since Munch tried to help me that time. Most of the time, I think I'm better off not knowing. Other times, I'm not so sure," Olivia admitted._

"_What would you do if you did find him?" Elliot wondered, watching her shrug. Tears found their way to her mocha eyes as she let out another sigh. "I don't know."_

_------_

Elliot rolled over in bed, opening his tired eyes. The alarm clock display read 7:56. He hadn't slept much the previous night. That wasn't new…but this time his mind was filled with different thoughts. Olivia had been looking for her father…and had found him. Yet, she hadn't said a word to him. It hurt him to think that she would keep something this important to herself.

He sat up on the side of his bed, rubbing his temples. Maybe there was an explanation. They didn't keep things from one another. Maybe she wanted to be absolutely certain before she told him what was going on.

Elliot stood, making his way to the restroom, pausing to glance at the picture of her. He picked the frame up, holding it in his hands. As tears started to sting his eyes, he realized he shouldn't care why she kept it from him. All he should care about was finding her.

Suddenly, the phone on his nightstand began to vibrate. He sat the picture down and opened his phone. "Stabler."

"Elliot. It's me," Cragen's voice replied, "Come down to the station. I've got some news."

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Okay…please tell me what you think. Good? Terrible? Okay? Outstanding? I'm open to all reviews, really. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. 


	8. The News

**OKAY, SO I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG WHILE SINCE I'VE UPDATED…I'M SOOO SORRY. I HAVEN'T BEEN MOTIVATED TO WRITE FOR AHWILE, BUT THEN A FEW MORE PEOPLE REVIEWED AND I REALIZED I NEEDED TO HURRY UP AND FINISH THIS STORY----- SORRY FOR THE DELAY...i'll be done within the next two weeks.**

**SUMMARY: Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics**

Dan Simmons glanced up from the folder in his hands when he heard Captain Cragen's door open. A disheveled looking Elliot, clad in worn jeans and an NYPD sweater, stepped into the office. He quickly acknowledged Dan then turned his attention to Cragen.

"Okay…what is it? What's this news?" Elliot asked, his pulse racing. He'd literally thrown his clothes on, grabbed his keys, and ran out the house. "Elliot. Glad you're here. Dan came down here first thing this morning with some information," Cragen motioned towards the P.I., who stood from his seat.

"After you two left last night, I couldn't get my mind off this case. I was up all night doing some research and I came across something-" Dan handed both men copies of the same paper from the file he was holding.

"Initially, I wanted to delve into Vince's past- former relationships, acquaintances, or friends that might know something. His mother raised him in the Atlanta area. She had lung cancer and passed shortly after he graduated from high school, so he relocated up here in search of his father. It seems as if Vincent soon realized that his son had come for nothing but money, so he cut him off. This is when Vince Jr.'s more violent nature came to light," Dan explained.

"He started selling drugs for money, and eventually started using them. He ended up in Maryland and from there he sexually assaulted three women. He fled back up here and was arrested in early '85. Before he was apprehended, however, someone by the name of Mary Thompson filed a missing persons report for him…"

"Who's that?" Elliot wondered.

"Well it turns out Vince's mother had an older sister that lived about an hour away from the city. Mary reached out to Vince after her sister's death, but Vince was more interested in getting his hands on his father's money. Once he realized his father wasn't going to give him anything, he left his aunt's home and turned to the streets. Mary passed away a few years ago before Vince was released, but she left him her estate," Dan told Elliot and Cragen, who were starting to realize what this meant.

Elliot nodded and began to pace the small office. "He could easily have brought Liv up there…especially if the house is older and in a wooded area…there wouldn't be anyone around for miles. Cap, we gotta check this out," Elliot's blue eyes pleaded with his superior, who happened to be thinking the same thing.

"You're right- I'll put in a call to some of the local authorities up that way and fax this info to them…I pray that this checks out…" Cragen picked up his phone and began dialing numbers.

Elliot glanced at Dan, who let out an anxious sigh. He needed this lead to be the one that led them to Olivia. They were dealing with a maniac and were running out of time…

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Olivia woke with a start. She sat up quickly off the mattress, covering her mouth to suppress the nausea she felt. She made it to the corner of the bedroom and threw up what little she had in her stomach from the night before. She wiped her mouth, trying to steady herself. She took a few deep breaths and slowly sat back down on the mattress.

Olivia wasn't surprised she was getting sick. She hadn't eaten anything decent since she'd been taken. The emotional aspect of it wasn't exactly having a positive affect on her health either. She rolled her eyes and brought a hand to her forehead when she heard footsteps approaching.

"What the hell? You puked all over my floor!" he yelled in disgust. Olivia took a moment to glance up and realized it was the first time she'd seen him with his mask off. She furrowed her brow in confusion…had she arrested him before? Is that why he was holding her captive?

"Well, asshole…it happens. Especially when you don't eat," Olivia glared at him, still unable to shake the feeling that she'd seen him before.

"I offered you food, sweetheart. You said no," he replied. "You could've put something in it. There's no way I'm eating anything you give me," she argued, watching him laugh and shrug his shoulders.

"Suit yourself. I'm outta here. Don't get any bright ideas while I'm gone," he warned, locking the door behind him. Olivia leaned her head against the wall, listening to his footsteps retreating down the stairs and the front door slamming shut.

Tears quickly filled her eyes. She didn't know how much longer she could take this. He obviously wanted her to suffer- but why? What had she done to this man to make him do this?

Olivia wasn't sure how long she sat there crying, but she was soon startled by the door opening. She watched him angrily walk over to her and skillfully untie the rope on her ankle. Olivia was flabbergasted. Before she could open her mouth, he gripped her arm tightly and pulled her up off the ground.

"Ow!" Olivia winced in pain. "Shut up! We're takin' a little trip," he drug her down the stairs behind him. "What the- let go of me!" she weakly protested and tried to pull away.

"I don't think so. Looks like your boy toy and the rest of your cop friends are smarter than I thought," he pushed her out the door. Olivia closed her eyes momentarily…the mid-morning sun blinded her. She hadn't been outside for weeks.

"What?" she was reeling from his last statement. They were looking for her. Elliot hadn't given up…she should've had more faith in him. Olivia quickly took in her surroundings. The old house sat on what she assumed to be a few acres of land surrounded by nothing but trees. Where was she? Far from the city, that was for sure…

"Get in damn car!" he shoved Olivia, causing her to stumble a bit. She was roughly pushed into the backseat of the sedan, bumping her head in the process. She slowly started to sit up in the backseat, feeling more disoriented than before.

"Get down!" he yelled, suddenly pulling a gun out of his jacket pocket. Olivia did as she was told as he covered her with a blanket, closed the door and climbed in the front seat.

Olivia watched him shove the keys into the ignition, able to study his profile better from her position in the backseat. What was it about this psycho? Why did he look eerily familiar to her?

Olivia was scared. She wondered why he thought the cops were looking for her. Where was he taking her? Although she was lying in the backseat, she was still able to see out the window. She tried to focus on the buildings and landmarks she could see as they whirred by, hoping to clue her in to her whereabouts.

Then she saw what had her kidnapper so anxious. Not in a blur as they sped past it, but as the car approached what Olivia assumed to be a stop sign or traffic light. A huge flier, posted on a large tree at an angle she could see. It was a wanted ad, with his picture on it. Just as the car started moving again, she was able to read the name under the picture- Vince Walker.

Olivia's heart pounded in her chest as she made the connection.

That's why this man- this monster looked so familiar to her…he was Vincent Walker's son. That meant that he was…her half-brother. She covered her mouth in disgust as she fought the sick feeling that overcame her once again.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, knowing what she was about to do could have fatal consequences. Olivia removed the blanket and sat upright, quickly catching his attention. "What the hell? I said get down!" he tightened the grip he had on the gun. "No," Olivia said defiantly, trying to control the trembling of her hands.

"What?" he quickly turned toward her, his green eyes cutting through hers as they had the first time she looked into them. "I said NO, Vince. What do want from me?"

Vince let out a sadistic laugh. "That's a good question, Olivia…really good. Well you see…it's not really what I want. It's more like what I don't want. I don't want you getting your hands on what's rightfully mine," he said. Olivia raised an eyebrow, not sure what he meant. "What's 'rightfully' yours?" she questioned.

"Money. And a lot of it too. But you already know all about the kind of money Vincent J. Walker has- you've done plenty of investigating on your own. I did some investigative work of mine, too Olivia. Must run in the family huh?" he let out another cruel laugh and continued.

"See…my Dad messed up. He got up here and knocked up some whore, also known as your mother, sometime in '63. The bitch lies and says he sexually assaulted her and of course that ruined any chance he had of going to school up here, so he had to move back to Atlanta. But he worked hard, as you know…and he's made a name for himself. As soon as he finds out about you, he's gonna get scared. He's gonna do everything he can to protect the company…which means paying you hush money. Money that would be mine if he wasn't so damn greedy."

"My mother wasn't a whore. He did sexually assault her, you bastard. I don't want his money! I don't want anything from him. That's not why I was doing this. I just needed to find the man that raped my mother," Olivia said angrily, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Vince gripped the steering wheel tighter as they begin to accelerate. "Yeah…right. Well…you found him. Unfortunately for you…you won't get to meet him." Olivia gripped the doorframe as she felt the car speed up some more. She reached for the seatbelt and fastened it as quickly as possible.

"Don't- please don't do this," Olivia pleaded as she looked ahead, noticing that they were headed towards a blocked off construction site. She glanced out the back window when she heard faint sirens behind them. Sure enough, one squad car sharply turned a corner and three others followed.

"Sorry, _sis_. It's too late," Vince snickered. "Oh God…" Olivia whispered, closing her eyes…


	9. The Chase

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics**

Elliot's eyes narrowed as he attempted to focus on the vehicle in front of the other squad cars. He glanced at Cragen, who was gripping the steering wheel as tightly as possible…his nerves were on edge as much as Elliot's.

The lead had checked out- after Cragen had gotten in touch with the local authorities and faxed them the necessary information, one of the officers had remembered seeing a man who held a strong resemblance to their suspect. That's all Elliot needed to hear. He knew time was running out- Olivia's life was at stake. They had arrived in the small town less than two hours later and were in hot pursuit of the psychopath who had taken Olivia.

"Captain Cragen, this is Detective Barnes, do you copy?" his voice was heard over the radio. Elliot picked it up, "This is Stabler, go ahead."

"The car's speeding up…he's headed straight towards a construction site…the bridge isn't stable! It's gonna give away!" Elliot's heart sank. He dropped the radio and looked at Cragen who had the same dreadful look in his eyes. He couldn't lose Olivia now. Not after all they'd gone through to find her.

"I called for backup on the other side of the site. We're gonna have to pull back…if more than one car goes over that bridge…"

Elliot picked the radio back up. "No…we can't just pull back! I can't just sit here and watch Olivia die! No! We're gonna do something!" he was yelling now, unable to hide the fear in his voice.

"Elliot…we can't go over that bridge…plus there's no guarantee the bridge isn't going to support his car," Cragen tried to reason with him. Elliot felt his adrenaline rush as a million thoughts ran through his mind. Saving Olivia was his number one priority, but if they followed, she'd be in even more danger.

Before Elliot could say anything else, Detective Barnes' voice was heard over the radio once more. "Wait a minute…something's happening…"

"What do mean? What's going on?" Elliot wondered, noticing the car was slowing down.

"I think it might be one of the tires…looks like it might have blown out," Detective Barnes replied watching the car lose its momentum.

Olivia felt he car jolt and opened her eyes, realizing it was slowing down. "Stop…please stop!" Olivia tearfully plead, noticing they were still quickly approaching the construction site. Vince pressed the brake abruptly, making a sharp 180 degree turn. Olivia closed her eyes once more and gripped the door frame, not expecting his sudden move.

The car screeched to a halt. Vince opened his door and aimed his gun at Olivia. "Get out! Now!" She did as she was told, soon finding herself in a headlock with the end of the gun pressed against her temple.

Sirens blared as police cars reached Vince's car. Elliot's heart pounded in his chest as Cragen put the car in park. He couldn't believe Olivia was only a few feet away. With shaking hands he reached for his gun and got out, pausing momentarily to stare at Olivia's face. There she was- it was really her. She looked so frightened, so fragile. Elliot wanted to run to her and take her in his arms…but he knew that wasn't the best idea at the moment.

"Drop the gun!" the officers yelled pointing at Vince. Olivia winced in pain as he tightened the grip he had on her. Elliot involuntarily took a few steps toward them seeing that she was in pain. "Elliot…" Cragen warned him. "Come any closer and she's dead!" Vince yelled. Olivia glanced their way and found Elliot's gaze. A tear escaped Olivia's eyes as the thought of never feeling his arms around her again.

Elliot drew his gun, trying to control his emotions. "Let her go!" he told Vince, eyeing the gun next to Olivia's head. "No way! If I go, so does she!"

"Slowly lower your weapon and no one gets hurt," Detective Barnes ordered, having moved much closer than he was before.

"I said, don't move any closer!" Vince turned toward the detective, briefly loosening his grip on Olivia. She struggled in his grip, somehow freeing herself and turning in the direction of the closest squad car. Vince angrily turned his gun toward her, his finger resting on the trigger.

The sound of gunshots rang in Elliot's ears as he called out Olivia's name.

Vince hit the ground hard, the gun falling out of his grip.

Olivia stood from her crouched position, watching the blood seep from Vince's chest. Detective Barnes lowered his weapon, walking over to check his pulse.

"He's gone," Detective Barnes announced after a few seconds. Olivia couldn't tear her eyes away from the body, her mind reeling from what just happened. Her knees started to feel weak. Elliot quickly ran to Olivia's side, pulling her into an embrace as she lost her balance.

"Liv…" Elliot said watching her eyes close. He effortlessly lifted her off the ground, cradling her in his arms and carrying her to the squad car.

"Liv? Honey, can you hear me?" he asked. Elliot brought his hand to her pale face and was instantly alarmed. "Cap'n!" He stood from the car and got Cragen's attention. "We need to get to a hospital…she's burning up!"

-----------

Elliot paced the floor of the waiting room, glancing at his watch again. "What's taking so long? The doctor's been in there for awhile," he said frustrated. Cragen glanced up from where he was sitting.

"Elliot…just give them some time, okay?" Elliot sighed, rolling his eyes. He knew Cragen was right, but he couldn't think straight right now. He'd almost started to believe that he'd never find her. But he had. And now all he could think about was making sure she was okay.

"Detective Stabler?" a petite nurse stepped into the waiting area. "Yes? How is she?" they both moved towards her. "Well, she's going to be fine. She was severely dehydrated. We're treating her with IV fluids. We think the fever might be due to a virus, but her blood sample was sent it to the lab just to be sure," the nurse explained, watching them nod.

"Can I see her?" Elliot asked anxiously. She nodded and watched Elliot quickly walk toward her room.

The door was slightly cracked. Elliot opened it wider, seeing Olivia sleeping soundly. He quietly closed it behind him and pulled a chair up next to the bed. He touched her hand, caressing it in his own. Fresh tears filled his eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check.

He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly. He watched her chest rise and fall with each breath, not realizing how much he missed doing so until now. "I can't believe I almost lost you, Liv," he whispered touching her face. "I promise I'll never let anything happen to you again," Elliot told her, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "I love you."


	10. Reunion

**Disclaimer: I don't own our favorite detectives...they belong to Mr. Dick Wolf.**

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

_Sorry it took me forever to update, but I had a very challenging semester..._

**Warning:** _These last couple chapters are short & extra fluffy, so if you're not in the mood...definitely don't read it..._

_

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_

"Olivia."

Olivia heard her name and shifted in her sleep, instantly regretting it. Every bone in her body hurt and her eyes were heavy, but she wanted to open them.

"Liv." Elliot said her name softly, caressing her auburn locks. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing a beautiful pair of blue eyes staring down at her.

"Elliot?" she said groggily, feeling his hands around hers. "Hey you," he brought his hand to her cheek, admiring her face. "Am I dreaming?" Olivia asked softly, tears clouding her eyes.

Elliot grinned slightly, shaking his head. "I was just about to ask you the same thing." He gazed into her big brown eyes trying to hold back the tears he knew were coming.

"Elliot…I'm so sorry," she began, starting to cry.

"Honey, you don't have to apologize for anything," he told her as she sobbed. "Yes I do. I should've told you," Olivia cried as Elliot wiped tears off her cheeks, "I could've prevented all of this. I was going to tell you. I just wanted to be absolutely sure before I got you involved…"

"Liv…don't you know how much I love you?" his voice began to crack. Fresh tears found their way down his cheeks. "None of that matters now. All that matters is that you're safe and back here with me. Where you belong."

"I love you too," she said as Elliot leaned down, kissing her lips gently.

"I actually convinced myself that I was gonna die there. That I'd never see you again," she cried. "I never believed you could be dead, Liv. I never gave up…I couldn't give up on us. You were the only thing keeping me going. And now that I've got you back…I'm never letting you go," Elliot grinned through his tears.

"I don't want you to," she replied as he kissed her once more.

"Well…looks like someone's finally awake," the doctor said, watching the two pull apart and glance in his direction as he entered the room. "Yeah," Olivia sighed, wiping her cheeks. "I'm Dr. Mcqueen. Nice to meet both of you," the tall graying man introduced himself.

"So…how is she doctor? Did her tests check out okay?" Elliot asked concerned.

"What tests?" Olivia questioned. "We wanted to run a blood test to make sure your fever wasn't due to a virus or something else. You don't have a virus…your fever likely spiked because your body went into some sort of shock because of everything you've been through. Your results did reveal something unexpected though," Dr. Mcqueen began, glancing back down at his chart.

"What is it?" Elliot stood as his pulse began to race. What if she was sick? He couldn't lose her…not after all of this.

"It's nothing to panic about. Her red blood cell count is a little low, which is likely due to iron deficiency anemia. It's fairly common in women," he explained, watching Elliot exhale. "I'm gonna give you a special type of iron tablet, okay? It won't upset your stomach or anything. You'll be feeling better in no time."

Olivia nodded and thanked the doctor, who told the couple the nurse would be bringing her release papers shortly.

Olivia cringed a bit as she sat up in her bed. She glanced up at Elliot, who couldn't help but to break into a smile. He sat back down, intertwining her hands with his. "I can't believe I have you back," he told her.

"I know. When he had me, thinking about you made me stronger. I couldn't live with the thought of never seeing you again, Elliot.You mean so much to me," Olivia started to cry once more.

Elliot sat on the edge of her small hospital bed, holding her close as she sobbed in his arms. "I love you Liv. It'll be okay…I promise."

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Okay, definitely not my best, but I just wanted to wrap this story up...all reviews are appreciated. Thanks:D

One more short chapter left.


	11. Love

**Ten months into their new relationship, Olivia goes missing. Will Elliot's grief destroy him before he finds her? Or will his instincts lead him to the truth?**

**A/N: Memories or dreams in italics**

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**_FINALLY! I BET YOU GUYS HAD GIVEN UP ON ME! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH THIS STORY AND DEALING WITH MY CRAZY SCHEDULE...IT TRULY IS APPRECIATED. _**

**_WELL...HERE IT IS, THE FINAL CHAPTER OF MY STORY. HOPE U LIKE..._**

**_eoeoeoeoeoeoeoeo_**

Elliot stared down at Olivia's sleeping figure, grinning slightly at the fluttering of her eyelids.

It'd been three weeks since she'd been rescued, and he'd barely let her out of his sight. The thought of losing her again frightened him to no end.

He'd watch her all the time- he knew Olivia was probably getting annoyed but he couldn't keep his eyes off her. Especially at times like this- in the early morning hours when he couldn't sleep...he'd allow his mind to wonder what she was dreaming about.

When she'd come home, Elliot worried that she might have nightmares about the ordeal she'd been through. It turned out to be just the opposite. Olivia was sleeping soundly; always curling up close to Elliot like a baby.

Elliot, on the other hand, would occasionally have bad dreams and check to make sure the space next to him was occupied. He'd always breathe a huge sigh of relief and pull her close, but sometimes still had trouble getting back to sleep. During those restless nights, he thanked the heavens that they'd found her in time and she was lying next to him and not elsewhere.

He lightly traced his index finger along her cheek, causing her to stir. She mumbled incoherently, opening her eyes briefly and snuggling closer to Elliot.

"Wake up sleepyhead…" Elliot whispered in her ear, kissing the nape of her neck.

Olivia giggled as she rolled over. "Fine. I'm awake," she sighed in defeat.

"Good," he chuckled to himself, pressing his lips against hers.

"What's got you so giddy this morning?" she wondered as he broke into a smile.

"That's a good question, detective. What do you think it could be?" Elliot asked mischievously, as she sat upright.

"What are you up to?" Olivia raised an eyebrow and started to pull back the covers when on her finger caught her eye.

"Oh my…wow! Elliot…it's beautiful…" she gasped in awe of the princess cut diamond ring on her finger.

Tears filled her brown eyes when Elliot took both of her hands in his and knelt down beside the bed.

"Olivia… I never thought I could love anyone the way I love you," he took a deep breath. Olivia did the same, trying to control the small sobs escaping her lips.

"From the day we became partners…I knew my life was gonna be different. You brought out all these emotions in me that I didn't even know were there. I don't think you know it, but you just have this quality about you…this beautiful spirit that attracted me to you. Our friendship came so naturally…and then when we became more, I knew it was right. I honestly believe you were made for me…and I was made for you. We belong together."

"I came so close to losing you, Liv. That entire experience made me realize how blessed I am to have you. I can't ever be without you because I know now that wouldn't make it. I need you, Liv. Please make me the happiest man alive and be my wife. Marry me," he choked out, his azure eyes glistening with tears.

Olivia cried, smiling as she nodded her head. "Yes…of course I'll marry you," she replied happily. Elliot sighed and stood, pulling her toward him. "I love you so much," he wiped tears off her cheeks and grinned broadly at the love of his life.

"I love you more." she whispered as he wrapped her in an embrace, his passionate kiss expressing only a fraction of the emotion bursting from within his soul.

They'd finally found it. True love. And they'd found it with each other.

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REALLY, REALLY FLUFFY THERE AT THE END BUT YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT! PLUS IT MAKES UP FOR WHAT WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN ON THE SHOW : - P 

PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS STORY. I KIND OF WANT TO WRITE A LITTLE FOLLOW-UP BUT I WANNA SEE WHAT YOU ALL THINK.


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